#ask jackson

Ok so I'm gonna put my rambling under a cut since it'll be long but HERE'S (some of) MY OCs

As usual none of the art is mine, it's all made in picrew or meiker.io :)

(General TW: Mention of SA)

Oh absolutely. The history of comics in general have been very fascinating in terms of how they came about being but also the fact that these characters are blatant and obvious acts of outright fanservice. I've made it a point in one of my posts that Dick Grayson as Robin has been sexualized since his introduction, literally before my parents were born.

The late and great George Perez who passed away a few months ago is one of the most celebrated artists in all of DC and Marvel Comics. He's the man who designed Thanos, a watershed character that is up there with the likes of Darth Vader in being a villain that defines a generation, was not as widely known for his affinity of drawing characters like Dick Grayson's Robin in heavy bondage. I won't show it here but it's like the 5th result you find when you Google George Perez Robin. But yeah characters like Batman and Superman but especially Robin/Nightwing and Wonder Woman have always been sexualized and it goes back basically to their inception as characters.

It's something that's often discussed but rarely ever settled on is the notion of what acts as simple, fun, campy, tongue-and-cheek fanservice and what is taking it WAY too far. I fully admit I am someone who very much enjoys the Nightwing fan service. However there comes a time when it feels like they are peppering on the sex appeal moreso than actually highlighting the characters themselves. I mean look at the most recent Nightwing variants.

They're literally drawing him like a 50's pinup model. Which there's nothing wrong with! It just shows to highlight that DC Comics knows what kind of character their marketing, and this being a variant cover, this isn't what is widely distributed but instead is given as a limited edition release. DC is well-aware of how the fans see Nightwing. His rogues call him "Pretty Boy" they have fight scenes where Dick takes full advantage of the fact that he is what most consider to be very handsome to his advantage.

Yet at the same time the comics have been very not good when it comes to the issue of consent. I think almost everyone knows what happened between Nightwing and Tarantula in Nightwing #93 in the 1996 run of Nightwing. This fandom rightfully detests Devin Grayson for her writing and her unwillingness to own up to the fact that she had wrote Dick Grayson being SA'd. Yet no one talks about how disturbingly accurate the characterization of Dick was to real victims of SA. Especially male victims of SA. His life collapses before his eyes, he starts drinking heavily, throwing up in public, sleeping in fire escapes, talks to himself and it's hinted he starts losing his grip on reality as a result of his SA.

I am by no means at all attempting to glorify or even justify Devin Grayson's writings. It was wrong in 1996 just like it is wrong now. Yet even when we look back to the 2010's during the Grayson comic run. Dick is still getting his ass smacked by female colleagues and is getting ogled and Dick makes it vocally known that he did not give consent to be touched that way and it's played off for laughs.

As someone who identifies as a man and sees these comics it both frustrates me and leaves me feeling dejected. Male victims of SA are still heavily stigmatized on all ends of the gender identity spectrum. About 1 in 10 SA's that occur involve men but that number is largely inaccurate due to the fact that many men are heavily stigmatized and treated as weak or less than a normal man if they admit that they were put through that situation. When Tarantula SA'd Dick he didn't blame her, he blamed himself. And what does DC do after all of this? They slide it under the rug and pretend it never happened. Lost in the sea of ret-conned events never to be touched upon again. It'd be fine if this was a one-off thing that everyone at DC collectively agreed to bury and never speak of again, only acknowledging it as a mistake, but Dick continues to be the target of being DC's pinup boy and constantly flaunted for his handsome looks and divine ass.

I never want to give Devin Grayson any more credit for the work that she did. She absolutely doesn't deserve it. Yet despite that DC still thinks she's good enough to give her the wheel to write a comic during a pride event and what does she do? Make Damian Wayne borderline homophobic.

If I were given the rights and the ability to write a one-shot under the official license of DC Comics. I would write a series focusing on Dick Grayson dealing with the unresolved trauma of his SA. I would start with a preface addressing what has happened to Nightwing over the past few decades bring to light how he has become a sex symbol over the years, but also bring to the forefront that regardless of sexual or gender identity, sex without verbal consent is r*pe. Regardless of it being Mirage, Tarantula, or the girls at the Academy in Grayson. It was wrong then and it is wrong now. I want to write about Dick's unresolved trauma finally bubbling up to the surface after years of repressing it like it always does, but instead of resorting to violence or drugs and alcohol as is often portrayed in media, Dick reaches out for help. Maybe not from Batman, maybe not from Barbara, maybe not the Titans, but someone meets Dick at his level. They don't see him as the vigilante prince, the sexiest billionaire alive, or Nightwing. They see a man who is struggling and is asking for help and this person does the right thing and gives Dick the help he needs. Dick will admit it was wrong for him to try to bury his trauma, and no amount of punching vigilantes or repressing your feelings makes them go away. You can't fight darkness with more darkness, you have to fight it with light. Imagine how great that would be for a boy, young or old, to see Nightwing, one of the coolest, sexiest heroes in all of comics media, telling them it's okay to open up about their feelings, that even for guys, being touched without your consent isn't manly or something to be proud of, it's wrong, and there's nothing to be ashamed of in seeking out help.

To end this tangent: yes, people are often attracted to both the deep characters and stories of the bat families but also are attracted to the fanservice. Yet at the same time we don't necessarily know what or where is the best place to draw the line when it comes to too much fanservice. We've crossed the bright red line many a time for the sake of a gritty story, but we haven't accepted the consequences that come with not acknowledging the mistakes of the past. It's up to the fans to make that determination.

For the ask game, Danny asks Jacko "what is your take on the idea of found family?"

((OOC: Thank you, Cato! Trust me when I say the well wishes do mean a lot! xoxo))

[Jackson smiles fully at this.]

Jackson: "Why, I find it empowering, certainly! Truly, that is the joy of meeting so many diverse and interesting people -- admiring the beauty of the prettiest of emeralds and rubies while looking for a diamond? And when one finds such a diamond, well...that's truly something to celebrate. They can sparkle and shine and give you hope, even when your life and surroundings bring you naught but coal. After all, dost not the Bard himself accent the true value of a friend, in dark times? 'But if the while I think on thee, dear friend, all losses are restored and sorrows end.'"

[Jackson's ocean-blue eyes soften a bit as he reaches out and claps Danny on the shoulder.]

Jackson: "I am, indeed, most fortunate -- to know sincere caring not just from my dear mother and grandfather, but my closest peers, as well."

Jackson: this man has never babied me!

Stiles: *smirkems* oh really? How about when we went to the San Francisco zoo and you cried because the tiger looked at you? You hid behind me and cried trying to pull me out of the tiger exhibit. We got ice cream

Jackson: that's basic human decency stilinski! The tiger was looking at me like he knew! He knew I was a wolf!

Overall,, not great tbh 💀

4. Ooooooohhh there's a few, Becoming The Mask, friends to lovers, masculine guys with a soft side, and anything angsty. PARTICULARLY in terms of angst, I love people with inner dark sides or people who hurt others and are in an uncontrollable rage but only their lover can calm them down.

19. ANGST. ALL DAY, EVERY DAY. GIVE ME HURT FICS. But Angst to Fluff? *Chef's kiss*

24. Oh God. Oh lordy. Canon ships? In 2020? I guess Shadam from Voltron? But well with Adam being game ended it doesn't help. I REALLY am out here only supporting gay, non Canon relationships.

Okay I guess if you had to make me pick one that's technically under very loose terms as Canon, it would be Tatsujun from Persona 2 Innocent Sin.

Oh, oh um. Okay. I actually like these but threatening format. But whatever let’s do it!

1. I always have liked my sense of humor and how I can naturally make people laugh in person.

2. I’m really happy with the fact that despite all the dark chapters in my life I’m here, alive. I had many deep dark depressing points and even a many few bouts with mental illness but I’m a mostly-functional adult working a job that I genuinely enjoy (even if I’m underpaid) but I’m a functional successful adult who is able to pay bills and have a pretty good life for myself and I never, ever would have thought I’d have gotten here.

3. I really like my eyes and my piercings! It’s lame and shallow but I love having my ears pierced and I’ve always loved the color of my blue eyes.

4. Despite being quite overweight (I hate it but I tolerate ZERO FAT SHAMING) I’m just as fast if not a faster swimmer than I was back when I was a kid due to better developed muscles and I’m just as flexible in certain parts (arms not so much but hey that’s muscles for ya)